Identity theft is the #1 consumer crime in the United States, but what is it worth? And just how do identity thieves sell you? You might be surprised at the answers. In fact, sometimes, you are only worth $1.
Identity For Sale: Your Bank Accounts, Your App Accounts and More
Card data, such as a simple debit card number stolen using a skimmer, only goes for about $5 in the U.S.1 There are factors that increase the value of your card number, like how much money can be used before the card is deactivated, and current supply and demand. Have there been a lot of data leaks recently? Then card numbers are a dime a dozen.
Learn about ReliaShield’s comprehensive identity theft protection today.
On the other hand, bank account numbers and information are sold for anywhere between $200 and $500 per account—and of course, the higher the balance, the higher the price tag.
But it’s not just your cards and checking account that criminals are after. You may be surprised to learn that a username and password for your Uber account will fetch a few hundred bucks, too. In fact, any app or website you log in to has value.
For example, if someone can get into your Target.com account, they can buy anything from the website using your stored credit card information. If you fly Southwest and have an account on their site, someone can cash in the points you’ve been racking up for years. And in the case of Uber, Netlfix and other apps, someone could use your account to ride all over the place or stream movies on your dime.
“What Happens to My Information When It’s Been Stolen?”
Most of the time, your stolen information ends up for sale on the dark web. The dark web is a part of the internet you need a special software and network to access—so, it’s not something you’ll find on Google. But it’s a place where cybercrime flourishes because everyone is anonymous.
So, what are people shopping for on the dark web? Many people are looking to buy any of the accounts and information we’ve already talked about, but they’re also looking for your personal information. Your personal information includes your:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Address
Each one of these pieces of information goes for about $1. Identity theft could cost you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of frustration, but for a few bucks, someone can pretend to be you pretty easily. And if they want even more, they can even purchase scans of driver’s licenses, passports and utility bills for about $10-35 per document.
Don’t Let Your Identity End Up On the Dark Web
If your identity gets stolen and sold, it typically takes between 200-600 hours to resolve the case. That’s why ReliaShield’s identity theft protection includes plenty of safeguards to keep your identity intact. We monitor your personal and financial information and alert you when changes are detected.
If you’re seeking us out because your identity has already been stolen, you can have confidence in our 100% recovery success rate. Our team of experts and recovery specialists will take care of all of the work to restore your identity so that you don’t have to deal with the headache.
We cover all identity theft events, including:
- Financial fraud
- Medical ID theft
- Social Security fraud
- Child ID theft
- Tax fraud
- . . . and more
We also include social media monitoring with every package.
Get ReliaShield’s comprehensive identity theft protection today!
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